A Lion King Collection
by Blue embers
Summary: A collection/repost of some of my older stories I had forgotten about.
1. Babe in the stars

I wrote these stories last year under a different screen name. Things happened and I abandoned the account but I suddenly feel the need to bring these stories along with me. Each chapter will be one of my older Lion King stories and completely unrelated. This is really for me not for reviews.

Before I post all of my stories at the time were edited by Shady-777. I still thank her. :)

~*

The fireflies danced around the orange cub with such elegance it gave Simba a sense of peace despite today's earlier troubles. The tiny bugs flew to and fro gracefully, trying to avoid tiny grasping paws.

Shaking himself from his daze, he cleared his throat, causing his young daughter to cease her earnest attempts at capturing the 'star bugs' as she called them. Flashing her father a smile that many said was an exact replica of his own cheeky grin, the tiny cub snuggled against her father and purred. Earlier that day she had been furious at him for interrupting her play date with her new friend Kovu; now it seemed as if the memory was the farthest thing from the cub's mind.

"I didn't catch one." she said bashfully. Though she liked to play super-huntress by herself, she rarely lived up to the given title when she had a chance. "I think I caught a grasshopper once, but he slipped through my paws." She bit her lip in frustration as she flexed her claws, causing Simba to stifle a laugh.

Eying her father playfully, she prodded him with one paw. "What's so funny." She bared her tiny teeth and growled. "Let's fight!" she cheered as she bounced from place to place, ready for any swing he might take at her.

In a display of his royal status, Simba held his head high. With red eyes closed and nose to the sky, he said properly, "Kings such as myself do not degrade themselves with play fighting." He opened one eye slightly to watch Kiara frown and stop her playful bouncing. "Lucky for you..." he added "I'm just your dad." Sending a well-aimed paw to his unsuspecting daughter, the little lioness rolled backwards.

Immediately Simba sprung to his feet. Even when he tried to be gentle he ended up not measuring his strength properly. To him Kiara was a delicate little flower that could easily be injured from his waggish play.

"Kiara...are you okay?" He touched the cub with the tip of his tail, not trusting his massive paws to touch the tiny creature that laid sprawled out on her stomach with her tail strewn on her head.

Nothing.

"Kiara?" Panic started to set in to the big lion's voice as he nudged her with his nose. Barely a moment away from having a complete meltdown, he saw his daughter's body begin to shake violently.

Peering up at her father with glowing red eyes, she didn't bother to hide her amusement as she laughed heartily. "You're a scaredy cat, daddy." Giggling more, "A big scaredy cat!"

Shaking his head in relief for a moment, the King of the Pride Lands joined his daughter in laughter.

Then he saw it. With his comical daughter laying the way she was with her tail on her back and her tail-tip resting on her orange head she appeared to have a tuff of mane hair.

Simba sucked in his breath as he stared at the ghost of the past with wide eyes. His boy. "Kopa."

"Huh?" the tiny lioness queried, bringing Simba to painful reality as she sat on her haunches and the allusion disappeared. "Whose Toka?" She stared at her father curiously. Her inquisitive nature now peeked.

He didn't bother to correct her mispronunciation of her own brother's name. He'd tell her one day about him...but not tonight.

"I'll tell you some other time." The big cat commented somberly, something his daughter picked up on immediately. Before she was able to pester him about it Simba decided it was time to tell her the story his father had told him. The reason they were out here this late in the night. Walking over to a small hill the golden lion rested on his stomach in the cool night grass. "Over here Kiara."

Hesitantly, the Princess followed her suddenly serious father, before completely blowing suspicion to the wind and galloping towards her him with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

She always did make him smile.

Leaping onto her father's back, she began to gnaw on his ear playfully. "Kiara..." He shook his head slightly, silently, successfully telling his daughter to stop. "Look up at the stars..."

Kiara did as she was told and for the first time really admired the bejeweled sky. The real stars were much better than the star bugs, she thought to herself.

As she awed, Simba felt himself fall into a sense of déjà vu . How long had it been since he and his father had done this? How long had it been since Zira robbed him of the chance of sharing this with his own son.

Pushing the morbid thought from mind, he continued in a proud, voice trying to channel his father's wisdom, " Those are the Great Kings of the Past. They watch over us from the heavens."

Starring into his mane, she asked "Is grandfather there?"

"Yes." Simba answered confidently.

"His father?"

"Yes."

"His father's father's father?"

"Yes."

"His fath-"

"Yes Kiara." he interrupted, knowing his daughter too well. She could go on and on until sunrise. "All the Kings of the Past are up there."

"Oh." she chirped contently before asking, "What about the queens?"

"What?" His daughter's question had caught him off guard.

Leaping down from her perch onto her father's back, she walked in front of him and asked with a puzzled expression "What about the queens? Grandma Sarabi, is she up there?"

Simba didn't know exactly what to say. No one had ever told him if the queens retired to the stars, nor had he ever truly thought about it. He was unsure of what he should say to his little princess.

"Well...um...I think-"

"What about the others?" she continued. "What about the other lions who never got to rule. They are good too, like Tojo. He's always nice to me and likes to take care of birds, but he's never gonna be King, does that mean he just dies and doesn't join the Star Pride? What about Grandma Sarafina? When she dies will she go there?"

The questions swarmed around Simba, questions he himself had selfishly never thought of until this very moment, and of which he hadn't the slightest clue.

Rarely did he lie to his daughter, and tonight wouldn't be one of those rare occasions. "I don't know, I really don't." What had started out as a bonding session passed down from leader to leader suddenly turned into a whirlwind of consuming questions for the young King.

Accepting the fact that her father didn't have the answers to everything, Kiara had a rare moment of maturity as she placed her paw on her father's large one. "Wanna know what I think?"

He nodded. "I think it doesn't matter if you get to be King or Queen or whatever. I think as long as you are good, you go there. I mean..." She gazed up at the stars with innocent eyes. "Those are a lot of stars...they can't all be kings, can they?"

Simba pondered this and wondered if his daughter was right. If so, then surely everyone who ever left him would be up there waiting for him, not just his father. Not to mention his son's spot would be secured. Killed as a prince but not as a king, Simba often wondered — was his small son among those above him in the night sky? Maybe his bighearted daughter was right. The thought made him smile softly at his child, who every now and then seemed like a little wise Mufasa.

Bringing her father out his own thoughts she commented lowly, "Maybe when I go up there I can play with Kovu then? It won't matter if he's an Outlander..." She tore her gaze away from the stars and looked at Simba with pleading, but hopeful, eyes.

"Maybe Kiara, maybe." With that the massive cat rose to his paws. "Let's go home before your mother starts to worry." The Princess smiled lightly before following in her father's large pawsteps. As the two cats made their way home, Simba said "When we join the Star Pride, hopefully many, many moons from now, I can introduce you to a cub named Kopa. You'd like him. He's a lot like you."


	2. The Death That Brought Life

My first story. Wow I had truly forgotten about this one.

*~

As if on cue the wind blew east, covering her tattered-but-elegant cream pelt in dead grass, shielding the huntress from her unsuspecting prey.

From ancestral knowledge of the complex dance that was the hunt she eased forward, blue eyes fixated on her scrawny prey.

Precision in every silent, delicate step.

Precision...yet no amount of rightness could fix what had been done.

Long ears stood up straight on the creature's narrow face. Red eyes grew wide in fear. A sniff from the wind confirmed his dread. Like a mad bolt of lightning, the hoofed animal tore across the small patch of grassland which was once the west part of a land called " the Pride Lands".

Snarling in determination, the lioness launched her tired body forward at full speed, quickly chasing the emaciated creature away from the small amount of food source that the remaining herbivores clung to.

She was quick.

Yet no matter how much she ran she couldn't forget what lay behind her: a dying way, a dying pride.

Her pride was ebbing away and this was her chance to buy them some time...some blessed time.

Time until what? Even the young cat herself didn't know. Time enough for a miracle, she supposed.

The high-speed chase seemed to pass in slow motion as the big cat thought about her imminent kill, though not for a moment letting up on her speed. For how long could such a frail animal feed her family? The antelope lacked muscle or even fat, yet seemed to run onwards thanks to the intense need of survival that beat within him while his pressure followed suit on pure determination, and determination alone. Both were mere relics of their former selves.

Catching this one skeletal antelope wouldn't change a thing. The animal could barely feed one lion in a pride, let alone a pride overrun with ravenous hyenas. The kill would go to the king's henchmen, the hyenas, not to her family. This pathetic excuse for a land-grazer would not save the starving cubs she was forced to see every day, only ease the stomach pains of their hyena oppressors.

Exhaustion took over the lanky antelope's body, and his legs began to buckle.

Instinctively a cream paw was extended ever-so-slightly.

He tripped. He tumbled to the ground. He was doomed.

The rundown animal looked through the dust, awaiting his killer's death bite at any moment. His tongue hung out of his mouth as he panted, hoping the death would be a quick one.

As the dust settled the lone figure of a lioness appeared. A slender lioness with neatly-groomed cream fur that bore the marks of confrontations with hyenas, and azure eyes. Her teeth were bared as she approached the animal, tail lashing angrily at some thought the hoofed animal could not read.

Standing over him, she paused her death blow and looked towards the looming figure of a dark Pride Rock. Her ears twitched in thought as the antelope caught his breath and wondered if he could escape. Before he could shakily bring himself to his hooves she turned to him sharply.

Words were hardly ever exchanged between hunter and prey; it was extremely rare. But what was even more rare was for a hunter to spare her hard-earned prey, especially when she herself was in a less-than-admirable state.

This lioness decided to do both rarities. "Go." Her voice was raw. "Go far away from here while you still can." She looked down at her paws that rested on cracked dirt. "This is no place to live."

With that she turned away from the confused creature. Not once did the proud huntress look back — instead she went to her 'home' and reported to a hyena — the beast called Shenzi — that she was unsuccessful catching any prey. She watched as the eccentric animal frowned and she swore she heard its stomach rumble. As the female hyena retreated back to the larger group of whooping predators, the lioness thought proudly that that was one meal those hyenas wouldn't have.

The next day a cub passed away, and in desperation all of the lionesses left on an all-day hunt mission.

Nala felt guilty for the young cub's death. Perhaps she could have saved the innocent one's life by killing that antelope.

No, she reassured herself. Anything she would have caught would have gone to the hyenas leaving the lions with nothing more than bones. The cub's fate was sealed long ago. It was sealed the moment Scar took over.

What was once the watering hole held another one's fate. As the two-year-old lioness edged towards the dead body that lay in the middle of the dried-up water bed, she realized it was the same antelope she had encountered the other day.

She stared at the animal with an unstirred look. He wouldn't be the first to die like this, of any species for that matter.

Poking the cold body with a lean paw, she let out a sigh. Rightness in the actions of herself and the other lionesses could not save them or their home. Running couldn't help them forget where they stood. If things stayed the same, her pride would be just like the deceased creature before her. Exhausted, depressed, and starving they would die. They would die in search for relief from their torment, just as he had died in his search for quenching water.

Nala's eyes turned up to the gray sky. She never could remember the sky being gray when she was small. When this was the Pridelands. Looking around her she was certain this wasn't the same place she grew up in. No longer was it lush and active with all sorts of life — now it was barren and full of skeletons. A Shadowland.

Giving one final look at the antelope, Nala ran. She ran as fast as her tired legs could take her, but she wasn't running from her home or her family. She was running to restore it. Out there help had to be hiding, somewhere...somewhere. And she would find it.

Though Nala never tasted the spilled blood of the antelope clenched tightly in her jaw and never felt the false hope of providing for her family, it was that antelope that prompted her to go find help. With that single death, countless would be saved as the tyrannical reign of death and sorrow finally came to an end.


	3. Brothers

I had forgotten about this one as well. Halfway threw I started to recall writing it. Not as good as I thought it was back then.

I like to still think Airezi whom my notes told me beta read this for me.

~*

As the vicious summer storm reached its peak outside, a small, skinny lion cubs sobs echoed throughout the dark and lonely cave that rested just below Pride Rock. Away from the others he allowed himself to cry. Alone he wondered if the pain would ever go away...or the shame. I'm not good enough, echoed in his mind.

His time to dwell on his predicament was limited. As soon as the young cub's keen, strangely pointed ears picked up the faintest sound of paw steps he silenced his crying. "Who's there?" He asked with a growl hoping to scare off whoever had wandered into his sanctuary. Though he was small and had barely begun to grow a mane tuff, he held no fear—a trait seemingly genetic to royals. "Go away now!" He demanded as he listened to the strangers' rapid breathing. Whoever it was was tired, no doubt, but this spot was taken. Unsympathetic for the lion who had just come barreling out of the rain he reiterated, "NOW!!" The moment his scream morphed into a tantrum like yowl lightning struck the outside world and for a brief moment illuminated the dark cavern.

All he needed was a brief glance.

Narrowing green eyes he hissed with anger, "Go away Mufasa." He was in no mood for his excessively chipper brother; the Golden One, the one he was always unfavorably compared to.

Paying no heed to his testy brother the larger lion cub trotted over to where the red cub sat and took a seat beside him despite the warning growl.

Barely able to see each other in the low light, the smaller lion recoiled in surprise as he felt his fur become damp. Shifting away he riled at Mufasa, "You're wet!"

"Yep." The yellow cub agreed with a smirk as he shook himself dry, sprinkling Taka. "Tends to happen when you're out in the rain!"

Knowing his brother far too well, the now damp cub decided not to waste his breath trying to persuade Mufasa to leave. Hating the rain like any normal cat, Taka would wait out the storm in the company of his overly good spirited brother. Once the storm passed he would find himself a more secluded spot, away from Pride Rock where he could think. Yes...think...he needed to think some more.

The two brothers sat in the dark silently for a while. Then Mufasa amused himself by humming some annoyingly catchy tune while Taka began to bath himself in an attempt to ignore the gratingly happy melody.

As if someone had pulled the older brother's theoretical string and quickly ending the silence that filled the cavern, he queried, "Why where you crying?"

Taka froze. Hesitantly he looked in the direction of his brother only to see red, curious eyes staring back. Blinking back the fear he was sure his sibling would notice the smaller cub responded, "I wasn't crying." He tried to sound convincing.

"Then why did you want me to leave so badly ." Mufasa inquired.

Snorting, in his usual high-brow, condescending manner Taka circled his brother and posed him with a question in turn, "Why do you think everyone so desperately wants to be around you, Golden boy?" Mufasa appeared ruffled causing Taka to smirk. The red lion always did have a way of changing the subject and disarming someone. "You seriously have a God Complex Mufasa, do you know that?" Taka spat before walking towards the back of the cave away from the pest that was his older brother.

"Don't turn your back on me Taka!" The future King sounded almost offended.

From somewhere further in the cave resonated, "No, perhaps you shouldn't turn your back on me."

"I'm only trying to help you like any good brother would do, why are you being such a moody monkey?" Mufasa called out sincerely. Taka snorted again but his brother continued, "You still sore about how I told Sarabi that Taka was a girls' name? Come on dude that's been weeks. Anyway, she got mad at me and said I shouldn't say stuff like that." Frowning in thought, the golden lion added, "She's always sticking up for you and junk...I think she likes you."

Any other day the usually placid, aloof Taka would have jumped for joy at the thought of the young Sarabi having feelings for him. Today however, he didn't feel much like jumping for joy.

With a deep sigh Mufasa wandered over in the cold dark to his brother. What could be bothering him so much?

Like in their baby days Mufasa curled up against the resting Taka. The lack of light hid the darker lion's grimace of disgust. Even when Mufasa tenderly laid his tail across his brothers, Taka didn't voice his discontent. Though it felt strange and inside he was practically screaming for his own space, the tired cub took some comfort in the warmth his brother provided.

Deciding the storm was far from done, and with the warm, cozy feeling of having someone next to him, Taka decided to rest his eyes just for a bit. Letting out a little yawn he closed his green eyes, giving them a break from a days worth of crying.

~*

He wasn't sure what woke him. Maybe it was the warmth of the sun on his pelt as it eased through the entrance of the cave, maybe the sound frighten zebras somewhere off in the vast land meaning a hunt was taking place somewhere, or more likely it was the solacing bath he was receiving. Much like a little newborn cub he kept his eyes closed in utter contentment and squirmed around happily on his back as someone diligently cleaned his neck and ears. At the moment he didn't even bother to wonder who it was or even to register the thick scent that filled the air and mingled with his own. No, for a moment Taka was merely in bliss. For a moment, Taka had some genuine attention and affection. For a moment, Taka purred.

"WHOA! You haven't purred in like forever, man!" The shrill, excited voice quickly destroyed that bliss. Reluctantly Taka opened his eyes to see a very doofy looking cub with a crooked smile staring down at him. He hoped this wasn't what Angels looked like.

Sighing, Taka heaved himself up. With a yawn he stretched the sleep out of his body and numbly asked, "How long have I been asleep?" Casting a swift glance at the sun shining brightly outside he guessed it was late morning.

"All day." Came the correction. "You were so tired, I left you a few times to get some water and stuff thinking you'd wake up while I was gone but each time I came back you were still snoozin'!"

Taka wasn't all that surprised that he had slept so long, the prior day had been a straining day...both physically and emotionally on him.

Without glancing back Taka headed towards the entrance only to stop abruptly and sit achingly straight on his haunches as he heard a loud roar echo across the land.

Mufasa didn't bother to hide his laugh as he bounded up to his brother, "It's just dad silly."

"I know."

"Then come on, dinner's ready!" Running out of the cave like a wildcat it took Mufasa a while to realize he was alone. With the tempting smell of freshly killed zebra flooding his nostrils and sound of others enjoying a feast, he found it hard to pad back into the cave.

"Uh...Taka?" He stuck his head inside,looking for any sign of his brother. "Taka? He called again. Nothing. Hm...maybe he passed me... Mufasa thought. After all, his brother was much faster than him—one advantage of being sleek and slender.

Just as the future king was about to leave he heard a strange noise. Rotating his ear to home in on the odd sound, he slowly crept in the cave. The closer he got the more he became painfully aware of its source.

"Taka...?" Peeking over a boulder he stared down at his weeping brother who didn't even bother to hide his tears this time . "What's wrong...?" He questioned confoundedly, almost brought to tears by the sight of his brother bawling. Hearing his brother cry and actually seeing his calm, collective brother cry were two different things.

Showing his naturally compassionate nature, he gave his brother a comforting lick on the cheek hoping it would have the same effect as it did last night. The red cub quickly jerked back.

Mufasa fought hard not to gawk at his brothers newest facial feature but the still pink cut stood out brightly against the dark fur. He had noticed it this sunrise in the morning sun but fought his cruious nature to ask his brother how he acquired it. Now it all became painfull clear. He asked furiously, "Someone hurt you, didn't they?"

Composing himself slowly, Taka gave a small nod and instantly ignited a flame within his older brother, "Well I…I…I'll go and tear their gizzard out!" Baring his teeth in all seriousness Mufasa swiped at the air in anger. "Tell me who hurt you and I'll kill 'em! Kill 'em till they're dead!"

As said before, bravery seemed to be a strong trait within the royal family, courage in the face of any enemy. "It was dad." But that changes when the enemy is your own family.

His bravado screeching to a halt, the yellow cub stared down at his sibling with disbelief. "Dad?" He repeated, certain he had heard wrong. When Taka confirmed it with another nod, Mufasa began to shake his head vehemently. "No! Not Dad. Na uh! He would never do such a thing, he's the Great King Ahadi and we are his sons, the Princes!" He turned his back to his brother angrily. How dare Taka try to spread such slander against such a great king! And one who was their father no less! For once, taking the role of the more mature sibling Mufasa said in a mature, scolding tone, "I'm ashamed of you Taka."

"I knew you wouldn't believe me." It seemed as if his brother's disbelief didn't ruffled Taka. In fact he almost seemed to expect it. "That's why I didn't want to tell you." Thinking for a moment, Taka growled at his brother who still had his back turned to him. "Go ahead, go home tell mom what I told you, tell the whole pride, I know you will."

Mufasa's body tensed as if he wanted greatly to do just that.

"They wont believe me either, I know," Taka continued, walking over to Mufasa who swiftly turned his face away. "Why would they? All they see is Ahadi the Great." The yellow cub huffed irritably as his brother spoke, very close to running out of the cave. "And you..." Taka spoke with contempt in his voice, "You're the Golden One, his future heir, his idol, his reason for living." Mufasa's anger began to melt away even as Taka's words grew more venomous. There was some truth within his harsh words."You're the reason for all of this! I have to live up to your level, something I can never do! You're the reason Dad hates me! The only reason!" As if a great weight had been lifted off his chest, Taka let out a deep, content sigh. How long had he been wanting to say that? It had been something he'd wished to say for some time. All the pain the so-called 'Great Ahadi' put his younger son through all correlated back to Mr. Perfect Mufasa. Taka wasn't good enough.

"You can do no wrong in his eyes and you know it!" the younger brother continued heatedly, "That's exactly why you run around here acting like a fool , because he allows it! I on the other hand am limited in every sense of the word."

Loyalty to his father urged Mufasa to speak up against his brother's remarks but with each sentence Taka spoke a recent scene would play out in his mind. Maybe father was a bit lenient on him...and Ahadi was a bit standoffish towards Taka. Occasionally other lioness would remark how Ahadi played favorites with his sons, but they weren't right…were they? And the usually calm King could have fierce temper tantrums from time to time. But could he really hurt his own son?

Forcing himself to look at the fresh mark that graced Taka's face, the future king gulped. It was strong and deep and had no doubt bleed profusely when first created. Even now it still dripped small drops of blood. It was the mark of a lion's claw.

With a deep, heart felt sigh he saw the truth. space "You can't stay in this cave forever you know," Mufasa tried to reason with his brother. "You can't hide forever from dad."

Pointed ears pricking in surprise, the shocked Taka asked, "So you believe me?" The yellow cub nodded solemnly.

"That's the mark of a lion all right. Who else would have the gall to put their paw on a Prince but a King?"

"Mark?" Taka wondered out loud. "I knew it hurt real bad but I didn't know there was a mark… In his sorrow Taka hadn't even noticed then intense pain. "Is it…bad?"

Lying through his teeth Mufasa tentatively said, "No...not really. It might leave a tiny scar but that's all. Still, Taka, there's something I don't understand," The confused young lion admitted. "Why would dad do such a thing?"

As if he had already spent hours devoted to answering that very question, Taka replied casually, "He's the King, he can do whatever he wants." It was simple, true fact.

"But I won't be like that!" Mufasa swore. "I'll be just and kind, I'll be a true King!"

"Power corrupts all. If the power is within your grasp you are bound to succumb to it." The red cub elegantly quoted something he had heard a wise but bitter old lion say.

Before they exited the cave to rejoin their pride, Mufasa smiled softly at his little brother. Bumping Taka lightly with his shoulder the gold prince said companionably, "I know we don't always get along but until we die we're brothers. I'll always be there for you little bro."

Discontent for his sibling still simmered deep down in Taka's soul. Discontent in knowing the fact he'd always be second best, runner up to his 'perfect' brother. Yet even with that intense emotion Taka was far from heartless. Mixed in with the hate and blame that he placed solely on his older brother was the love that only siblings could share. Maybe Mufasa was the source of many, if not all, of his worries, but they were still joined by the bond of brotherhood.

With a smile that was neither sinister nor condescending, Taka beamed genially up at his big brother. "I know you will."

OxOxOxOxOxO

Many things would change.

Years later Taka would cease to exist and Scar would be born. With the help of the mighty corruption of absolute power just outside his grasp, he would seize the spoils of Kingship by turning on his own.

Now as the King, HE could do whatever HE wanted.

But some things stayed the same.

Just like before, a part of Mad King Scar still loved his brother—though it was a much smaller part. The same brother he ruthlessly murdered for the crown. Even after all the years of living in his shadow and then being tortured by his ghost, Scar, in his own way, cared for his deceased sibling.

Still he felt completely justified in his actions. To him it was written in the stars that he should one day over throw his older brother. His older brother whose perfection had caused him so much pain and ridicule.

Yet somehow in death the presences of his brother lingered and grew even stronger in King Scar's mind. Mufasas' voice, his eyes, his smell was forever ingrained in the new King's mind.

Just like Mufasa promised all those years ago, he'd always be there

After all, they were brothers.


End file.
